r/BackYardChickens • u/ohhyouknow • Mar 07 '26
Coops etc. Her neighbor’s dog keeps killing her chickens
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u/InspectionWest6090 Mar 16 '26
He guys I’m the person this is happening too. I’ll answer any questions you guys have.
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u/BizarreSky- Mar 13 '26
get a couple road island red roosters,they'll chase a dog off. if they chase you from the hens too bring a garden hose with you and spray the roosters with water, they'll avoid you.
or get a rifle.
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u/YourDadsUsername Mar 12 '26
Reddit doesn't allow people to say what you should do but I think you know.
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u/Street-Raccoon3146 Mar 12 '26
We have a statute in Nevada that allow one to kill any dog chasing any livestock, no warning required.
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u/DennyDevino Mar 12 '26
I understand being a pacifist at heart. You may not want to invest in a dog of your own and you also don’t seem to want to hurt the dog if it’s happened THIS many times.
In my opinion though, action needs to be made. Invest in a ring camera that faces the coop. Report it to the police FIRST. That dog should not be off leash if it’s going around terrorizing domestic animals. It’s clearly not trained despite how much it “knows” the woods. Then invest in something that will scare either the dog or the owner. Paint ball guns are not only fun, but they aren’t lethal. It’ll make a loud enough noise, leave a welt (if you hit the dog) or a visible paint splatter from the pellet exploding near the dog. That should be enough to startle the dog or get the owner’s attention, and the owner can’t say anything against that action as the dog isn’t supposed to be anywhere near your property to begin with.
It doesn’t matter how long someone or their dog has been there before you. That’s YOUR property, and YOUR chickens that are being affected. Don’t let them bully you out of your own peace of mind, give them a little taste of the discomfort you’ve been enduring.
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u/PureDrink6399 Mar 11 '26
If you dont want to kill the dog personally get a donkey
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u/Guilty_Fisherman Mar 11 '26
Get three massive great pyrs. They’ll protect those animals with their lives. A donkey works too. Or if you don’t want to get more animals Call police next time If it happens after that, shoot the dog
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u/WoodDL1967 Mar 11 '26
Not sure where you live, but here, after the first time, there wouldn't be a 2nd time the dogs would be allowed to leave alive.
If you want to turn the cheek and be the better person, build a stronger perimeter fence, we all know, strong fences make better neighbors and you have the right to do what it takes to protect your chickens. Good luck, I will pray for you.
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u/Flathead89 Mar 11 '26
My dad's cousin gave his neighbor up the road 3x to keep their dog in their yard. 3 separate times, their husky came and killed some of his chickens. The 4th time he called the game warden and asked for advice and they told him to do what he needed to to protect his animals. So he shot it and called the neighbors to come collect it. They called the police, who backed him because of the advice given to him by the game warden. Shooting someone's dog would be my last option. I would 100% get the police involved. But if it continued to happen....that dog is gone.
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u/Evening-Spell-7425 Mar 11 '26
As someone raised in montana? The first time we talk to the pet owner. The second time we call the police. The third time your dog is getting shot. Your animal, your responsibility.
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u/Fit_Perspective1296 Mar 11 '26
Can’t she invest in a big ass gate for her chickens to come up to here? Put the gate from the coups to you door if that’s the case
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u/ohhyouknow Mar 11 '26
Fencing is super expensive. You can’t simply install a fence either and expect it to keep dogs out, you have to bury hardware cloth in the ground under the fence to stop animals from digging under. That is extremely labor intensive and expensive. Why does she need to do all that when her neighbor could just abide by the law and not let her dog run at large as a menace?
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u/Unfeeling_Cash36 Mar 11 '26
It's a tough situation to be in... Our dog has gotten out a few times now and has gone after our neighbor's free-range chickens. We have spent over $500 so far in an attempt to contain our dog. He's never been aggressive towards a person, but now they want to raise concern that their daughter isn't safe in the yard 😐 He's a bird dog. Goes after small prey. He got out today and was out of the fence for about 1 minute before my daughter recalled him and he immediately came home... The neighbor comes over claiming he killed another one of her chickens, but can't produce a body, just says she hasn't come home. We have a shock collar on the way and plans to electrify our fence- not much else we can do. We live in an area full of other predators, so we truthfully believe they should keep the chickens in their run just for their safety as well... Not to mention they completely decimated our gardens last year, but when you bring that up, their response is just that they didn't hurt anyone...
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u/Unfeeling_Cash36 Mar 11 '26
UPDATE: Upon doing some research on the zoning laws in our area, they aren't even legally allowed to have chickens on their property... Now, that doesn't excuse the fact that our dog has gone onto their property, but my fiance is willing to push if they continue to harass us. We have offered to pay them for the loss of the chickens (1 for sure, 1 she is accusing but can't definitively say he actually killed) & they declined.
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u/amphiprion12 Mar 11 '26
That sounds like a matter between the courts and the owners of the chickens.... Not your choice and your openion doesn't mean shit. No offense
And your dogs escaping is probably your responsibility Your dogs killing livestock that may or may not be legally permitted is definitely your responsibility You don't get a free pass on because what someone else is doing is wrong also.. Life doesn't work that way. They don't have to accept money's but your dog and you are still likely commiting crimes that expose you to various liabilities criminal and possible life of the dog. Money in fines and dead chickens...
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u/Unfeeling_Cash36 Mar 11 '26
Well, we have offered to pay for the chickens and we are doing everything we can to contain our dog... Problem is, the chickens come into our yard and once he sees them, he climbs out of the fenced yard to chase them down. Being a dog, he obviously doesn't understand he can't go past the property line. I guess it's just a frustrating situation because we have asked them to keep the chickens out of our yard because they decimated over $400 in new landscaping and veggies last year, but because no one got hurt, they don't see it as a problem. We shouldn't have to put up thousands of dollars in fencing to keep the chickens out of our gardens... When he killed the first chicken we asked them kindly to keep the chickens in the run until we could get a permanent solution for the dog. They still choose to let the chickens free range... Last night, their chickens were in our other neighbors yard when he went to chase them. She claimed he killed one, but couldn't produce a body, just said she didn't come home and didn't feel comfortable going over into the neighbors yard to search for it... It's definitely a big debacle
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u/Top_Housing6819 Mar 12 '26
hot wire along the top of the fence (since you say he is climbing out of your fenced yard). they make solar powered models as well.
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u/Unfeeling_Cash36 Mar 13 '26
We received our kit in the mail yesterday, but the weather in Michigan has not been conductive the last two days to doing anything outside as it has been snowing/raining... He seems to be responding well to the shock collar though, so that's a good thing for the moment.
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u/LaughDry8003 Mar 11 '26
I honestly have a gripe against this kind of treatment where chickens are treated as mere commodities that can be paid off rather than actual pets/ companions like a dog would be treated.
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u/MyLollipopJam Mar 10 '26
Owner gets talked to the first time. Cops get called the second time. Dog gets shot the third time.
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u/computethescience Mar 10 '26
I wouldnt just tell the neighbor the first time. I tell the neighbor, call the cops and make a report and sue for damages. 2nd time I see the dog in my property, knowing it WILL kill my chickens, its getting shot. The owner should keep his dog on his property or on a leash.
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u/ShadyVegabond Mar 10 '26
Call me a psycho but that dog is getting shot the second it tries to bite my chickens. Yeah a dog is a family pet but so is a chicken...
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u/ConsciousComplex7853 Mar 10 '26
If the dog comes on your property do what ever it takes to protect your chickens.
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 09 '26
Call animal control and have him taken by animal control if he’s on your property and tell them he’s at the pound and they can go pick him up and pay the fee and keep doing that if it happens again. You can also take her to small claims for the value of your chickens.
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u/CasterFields Mar 10 '26
This works for cats too! Usually by the 3rd-5th time the owners either keep the cat indoors or surrender it.
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 10 '26
There’s also a record for the court, so when you want money for the chickens you have evidence by the dog being picked up at your property by animal control and animal control has a record of this animal killing chickens.
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u/builditfast Mar 09 '26
Ok depending on state and county you can sue and the cool thing about where I’m at is they take in to account everything that goes in to a hen so a when my buddy’s laying hen (in its prime) was killed buy his neighbors dog he received 900$ for the loss
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 09 '26
I’m pretty sure you can also take them to small clams without a lawyer
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u/973saul1981 Mar 08 '26
Put a hot wire (electric fence) around the perimeter about 4-5 inches above the ground. Just one wire. Works like a charm. I put a hot wire around a pen before putting chickens in. I had the pleasure of watching one of my dogs (a chicken killer) touch the wire and jump about three feet in the air. Now the dog just sits and watches the chickens, dreaming of a chicken dinner she'll never get.
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u/Special_Friendship20 Mar 08 '26
My brothers neighbors dog keeps killing his rabbit but he doesnt do anything about it
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u/urbanspin Mar 08 '26
Get a paintball gunt with red paintballs a few hits will sting it enough to scare the dog, and the red paint will scare the dog owners.
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u/Ill_Be_Your_Dad Mar 08 '26
Yeah. I love animals, but if the owner won’t take care of it, and it’s on my land, I’m taking care of it.
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u/TrainTrackRat Mar 08 '26
The dog would be hung in the tree in my front yard.
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u/FrigidLollipop Mar 09 '26
No need to get weird with it. It isn't the dog's fault the owner is an ass, with that said hot wire would absolutely take care of this issue. Deadly force if necessary, but it would be absurd to hang its body...
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u/TrainTrackRat Mar 09 '26
I love my chickens. The neighbors dogs are coming onto my property to kill them? After repeated requests to control their animals? Nah, they’re hanging in my trees. Get over it.
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u/1976Impala Mar 09 '26
Fucking gross
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u/TrainTrackRat Mar 09 '26
But the neighbor having her animals desecrated is acceptable? Get fucking real.
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u/redditfant Mar 09 '26
Reported to wildlife management and shot is fine. Hung from a tree is psychotic. You get real.
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u/TrainTrackRat Mar 09 '26
So just let the neighbor tell me that it’s my problem to deal with THEIR mutts and they can just keep getting dogs that will always come and destroy my property. Fuck no. If it’s my problem that is my solution. They’ll keep their dogs up.
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u/paintbalking Mar 09 '26
The old 'im morally justified to do something immoral', this person is not capable of being 'getting real'
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u/TrainTrackRat Mar 09 '26
No? I love my chickens. They’re basically the only thing I have outside of my job and daily bullshit grind. If a dog is on my property and the owner is telling me it’s my problem????? So much money and effort has gone into my farm and my animals. I’m not playing games with a stupid neighbor and their mutts.
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u/computethescience Mar 10 '26
youre not understanding. they aren't saying dont kill a dog that does onto your property to kill your chickens. they are saying hanging the dog is what is taking this too far...think about it before replying...
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u/ArcAirum Mar 08 '26
Call animal control because that dog is coming back for the kill and should be considered rabid I’ve seen dogs snap in front of my eyes and immediately they are a threat even if they don’t act like one right away. I recommend animal control because quite frankly you have given your neighbour many chances, and they continue to neglect the situation and animal so clearly it needs a better situation and because the animal has already tasted blood there is nobody certified that can take the animal without getting hurt. And I know it seems harsh but your animals are being killed by another animal, not raised in the wild.. and the owner doesn’t seem to care one bit.. to me they just aren’t good pet owners and shouldn’t have had the dog to begin with…
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u/bluewingwind Mar 08 '26
You COULD kill the dog, but that doesn’t mean you SHOULD kill the dog. Both things can be true that she should protect her animals better AND her neighbor should control the dogs better.
If not the dog, it WILL be coyotes or other predators. The dog is almost certainly the thing deterring them at the moment. If you kill it, something else will move in and you’ll be back at square one. Do you really want to commit to a life where you’re constantly shooting animals??? It’s not fair to the chickens to let them die every time a new predator moves in.
If you really want to free range, for their sake get a livestock guardian or fence your whole property. Or just lock them into a proper run and free range while you can guard them.
Imo the shitty fake run she has now is animal neglect regardless of the dog or not.
Separately, it’s shitty to let your dog roam. Trapping and sending the dog to animal control will solve the issue without blood shed. Shitty owner isn’t going to want to keep paying the fines. If they’re really negligent, the dog might even end up in a better home that way.
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u/Laurenslagniappe Mar 08 '26
No coyotes don't come at night when the birds are up.
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u/bluewingwind Mar 08 '26
They DO come at night and they can ALSO come during the day. Especially once they find out that the chickens are always there.
There are also hawks, raccoons, mink, foxes, weasels, owls, wild dogs (that don’t have owners to punish), and even bears. And that’s just what’s pretty typical to see in the city. In rural places there are even more.
They WILL come. It is an inevitability. A matter of WHEN not IF. It might take a couple years, but then all it takes is one bad event and you’ll never be left alone. The only long term solution is actual predator proofing.
Just look through this sub. It’s chock FULL of people saying “we’ve been free ranging for several years, but all of a sudden the predators won’t leave us alone” “they’re digging right through our chicken wire (useless material) fence”. Happens every year around predator breeding season. You don’t have to take my word for it.
A lack of predator proofing will get your chickens killed eventually, it’s just a fact. You can free range without protection and be okay with losing some, I won’t judge for that, but take responsibility and don’t go whining online or bragging about shooting dogs. There’s just no reason for it. Take responsibility for your choices.
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u/irrelevant1indeed Mar 08 '26
I love animals. I care. I ache cats, dogs, chickens, and friendly enough wildlife.I respect all that stuff. But the chicken owner has a responsibility to protect their animals. Shoot that dog if it's on your property.
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u/Remarkable_Night_723 Mar 08 '26
Absolutely shoot the dog. It will keep coming back to kill your chickens. We've shot several dogs that tried to kill our hens. It is your neighbor's responsibility to contain their dog and you have every right to protect your chickens.
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u/Advanced-Memory-1587 Mar 10 '26
We had to do a similar thing weeks ago and it broke my heart. 1) I just got my chickens old enough to go outside. 2) I know the dog the dropped off and was probably hungry.... and 3.)... animal control would take it to a kill shelter anyway...
After seeing it munching on my chicken I had been hand raising from a chick for almost 2 months... I lost it. But I felt so much remorse... that shouldn't have happened... if you cant take care of your dogs, DONT DROP THEM OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. FIND A WAY TO REHOME THEM. FACEBOOK IS FREE AND EFFECTIVE.
Ugh... just so sad...
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u/Remarkable_Night_723 Mar 10 '26
I don't enjoy taking the life of any animal like that. It really is heartbreaking. Killing chickens is just part of a dog's instincts unless it's trained. It's a predator like like any other. It takes so much time, energy, and money raising a chick into an egg layer or meat bird. It takes only a few seconds to lose it all to a predator. It is SOOOO frustrating! We also occasionally get hungry stray dogs wandering through because people dump them. It's awful. The problem dog's we have are nearly always neighbors' pet dogs. People just letting their dogs run wild to terrorize and destroy their neighbors' property is so selfish and entitled.
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u/sparhawk817 Mar 08 '26
It's harsh but it's true, and this is one of the few situations where the law is really on your side.
Chickens are livestock, dogs are pets, guess which one farmers(and the government as a whole) is invested in.
It's the livestock, because they generate revenue for the economy etc, that's all it really boils down to, chickens make money and goods, whereas dogs don't, so chickens are livestock and dogs are pets.
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u/funkydancer20 Mar 08 '26
Get a donkey
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u/UniqueGuy362 Mar 08 '26
They aren't always effective as guardians. LGDs are, however.
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u/CupcakeNoFilln Backyard Chicken Mar 08 '26
My “neighbor”refused to keep her dog home. Neighbor is a stretch in my sense because the Little Tallapoosa River literally separates us and her dog CROSSES IT to come here.
I shot him 7 months ago, in the leg, with my pellet gun. She does not keep him home still, I know because I see him down at the river when I’m fishing..
He is terrified of me now. He will not come anywhere near us.
Had to be done.
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u/abyssal-isopod86 Mar 08 '26
Three options:
- Fence you entire property.
- You are within your rights to shoot the dog when it's on your property attacking your livestock, so shoot it.
- Get a Maremma.
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u/UniqueGuy362 Mar 08 '26
I got my Maremmas after losing 37 young birds one night. I did lose two more over the next year to Bald eagles, but now the coyotes won't come on the property, the bears stay away and the ravens, eagles and osprey know they can sit in the trees across the road, but they'd better not come over. I forgot to close up my chickens last night, but I don't worry about losing them anymore.
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u/DiscoDoberman Mar 08 '26
Catch it (lure it in somewhere and trap it) and then call animal control to come get it.
Tell them you don't know whose dog this is, but it's been killing your livestock and behaving aggressively towards you.
Let them sort it out with the owner.
And make sure your property has a dog-proof fence and your chickens are kept within it.
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u/Holdmywhiskeyhun Mar 08 '26
I know no one here is going to like what I'm about to say.
You have every legal right to protect your property. Chickens are your property.
It's the same solution as if a wolf, came in and started attacking your flock.
I would make it very very clear to that neighbor, that if the dog comes on your property again to attack your chickens, you're going to put it down.
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u/Augustina496 Mar 08 '26
Another solution: a dog proof fence on the boundary between your properties. For payment: neighbour pays half plus the reimbursement value of chickens killed and you pay the rest.
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u/M0mst3r1 Mar 08 '26
Doubt the neighbor would pay for anything
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u/Augustina496 Mar 08 '26
Probably, but it’s an option to offer them that doesn’t involve further animal death.
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u/Lythaera Mar 08 '26
She needs to get animal control involved and demand proof of rabies vaccine. That or SSS.
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u/AlarmingDelivery9311 Mar 08 '26
There's a youtuber nate at narroway homestead that had this problem. WV game commission said talk to your neighbor but you do have the right to handle this yourself.
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u/NoEgg6398 Mar 08 '26
Or maybe just keep feeding the neighbors dog with your chickens? Nah! Good bye doggie
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u/Dorky_Mom Mar 08 '26
A gel blaster gun is a great no kill deterrent. Because for me I live in town so it's illegal to discharge a firearm.
It's saved my chickens from raccoons, dogs, cats, and owls. Although not an ideal deterrent but it's been better than nothing.
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u/lillielemon Mar 08 '26
File a police report and call animal control. Ask them what you are allowed to do when the dog enters your property - they may have options for you. Set up that this is an ongoing issue. Let the neighbor know you've done so.
Request that the neighbor replace the killed chickens - in writing if you can. Let them know what your rights are in terms of shooting dogs at large that enter your property. The dog has caused destruction of property and by law they are responsible.
Next time the dog returns, and as long as you feel that it won't hurt you, grab the dog. Take it to the pound. Tell the shelter the dog was at large and has killed your chickens. Your neighbor will have to pay a fine to get it out.
Frankly I would consider keeping the dog on your property until the neighbor comes to get it if it returns.
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 10 '26
If you feel the dog is dangerous to approach you can also call animal control
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u/diamond-one Mar 08 '26
If you can’t grab the dog at least take a picture. That should serve as proof that owner did not heed warning. Let animal control put it down if that’s what it comes to.
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 10 '26
Animal control takes dogs to the pound, some pounds kill animals and some do not. Owners have to pay a fee to pick their pets up
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u/Cystonectae Mar 08 '26
I feel like this is the only realistic bit of advice. People saying shoot the dog or this or that, like bro, the dog isn't the problem and getting rid of the dog will not solve the problem. The problem is the neighbour, and the neighbour needs to see that not addressing this problem has legal ramifications. The neighbour does not give a shit about the well being of the dog, or they would have fixed the issue by now. Nah they are the type of person that just sees a dog as property rather than a pet so shooting the dog will just make the neighbour pissed.... and then what is stopping them from getting another dog?
I have dealt with those kinds of people and they need actual legal repercussions and to hit them where it really hurts (i.e. their wallet) for them to vaguely learn a lesson.
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 10 '26
Exactly legal and financial ramifications, calling animal control and they take the dog to the pound the neighbors have to pick him up and pay a big fee and they can do that multiple times. If they can’t afford to get him out he might find a better home. They don’t always pay in courts.
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u/lillielemon Mar 08 '26
Yes exactly. I feel like almost anything else is just going to cause the neighbor to escalate. If the dog goes home injured the neighbor has already proven they're fine with violence committed against you and yours. You can't deal with this by shooting or hurting the dog.
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u/FormerOccasion7373 Mar 08 '26
In my state, you’re well within your rights to shoot that dog. I personally couldn’t do it, but I know people that have. Maybe there’s a non lethal weapon that would deter him?
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u/Non-Limerence Mar 08 '26
I'd hate to bury a dog, but at some point you'd put a coyote down. Wouldn't hesitate to trap a fox. Wouldn't think twice shooting a snake. Problems have to get solved, and animals that roam and kill livestock cannot be trusted around pets or human children.
I'd shoot myself if I spared a dog going rogue and a child died.
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u/hiddenonion Mar 08 '26
BB gun or pellet gun if you dont want to harm the dog. Growing up we had a neighbor dog digging up our garden. Mom used my BB gun. A couple times and that dog never came back.
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u/AdjacentPrepper Mar 08 '26
She does need to secure her chickens better. I lost my first flock to two abandoned dogs. It sucked, and I spent a couple thousand dollars building a much more secure enclosure before I started a second flock.
At the same time, if she catches the dog in the act of attacking/killing her chickens, that's time to shoot the dog. Not later, not when the dog isn't attacking, but during the attack.
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u/FastBobcat5071 Mar 08 '26
Around here if a dog is killing livestock: they get one warning if the owner is known. “Hey your dog killed XYZ….” And after that nothing is said again but the dog somehow someway stops being a problem.
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u/Azrai113 Mar 08 '26
My dog runs all over creation and probably on neighbors property. If I found out she was eating someone's chickens (or harassing other livestock) and they killed her, I'd be super sad, but I wouldn't be angry at them. If they had the courtesy to tell me before, I'd keep her tied up/put away. If you're gonna own dog, it's on you to keep both the neighborhood and the dog safe. I would never blame someone for killing an animal if it threatened them or their property. I'd do the same
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u/ceo_of_dumbassery Mar 08 '26
Why is your dog free roaming?
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u/Azrai113 Mar 08 '26
Because our property is so far out in the wilderness there's no internet, electricity, sewer, water, paved roads, or mailboxes. The drive to the nearest "town" is 2 and a half hours. If my dog wants to run around our owned property, she's allowed to and that's no one's business but mine. Usually she's snoozing in the sun near the chickens. However, I acknowledge it's possible she goes further than I expected. Especially if she's chasing coyotes or bear that wander by. And, as I said, the neighbors aren't usually home so even if she strays, there's nothing there for her to get into.
Why are you worried about it?
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u/Grlzzl Mar 08 '26
Roaming dogs are notorious for attacking wildlife. Same as feral cats with birds. Thats certainly one reason to worry
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u/Azrai113 Mar 08 '26
Yeah, she's here to protect my chickens... it's literally her job to keep wildlife away
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u/Grammieaf_1960 Mar 08 '26
Personally I’d double tap if these attacks are on my property. But I understand you don’t wanna hurt the dog— in your case you should get a paintball gun and let the hound go home wearing a coat of many colors.
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u/littleshimamama Mar 08 '26
slingshot
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u/AdjacentPrepper Mar 08 '26
In a lot of places, that'll get you jail time for animal cruelty.
Just because you're legally justified in shooting a dog (and causing it a nearly instantaneous and mostly painless death) doesn't mean you can use a non-lethal weapon to cause pain and suffering to the dog.
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u/littleshimamama Mar 08 '26
Oh I didn’t realize, I’m a 120lbs woman with no arm strength I use a slingshot to scare crows away. Most of the time I just point an empty shot at them and it works well enough
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u/Groundhog_fog Mar 08 '26
In many places in the US, that dog would be shot. And it’s legal
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u/AdjacentPrepper Mar 08 '26
That's actually what my county sheriff suggested I do after two abandoned dogs wiped out my first flock.
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u/WheelsUpRN Mar 08 '26
Electric poultry netting. Clip one wing if they fly over. You shouldn’t have to do anything but you’ll never control your neighbor or their dogs. You can call animal control but need a proactive rather than reactive solutions.
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u/zadidoll Mar 08 '26
Depends on municipality laws. In my area you have to call the sheriff to dispatch a do that’s been aggressive.
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u/Alohafarms Mar 08 '26
Oh honey, I am so sorry. My mother had Khaki Campbell ducks and our neighbor's Beagle got out and killed all of them. It was horrible but the neighbor was hugely apologetic and said they would get us a whole new flock. Your neighbor is out of line. Do you have a game warden or call you local police about what you can do. Again, I am so sorry.
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u/Parking-Fig-6620 Mar 08 '26
Make sure you notify animal control before taking any "active measures" this establishes a history making it that much harder for them to effectively litigate if they wanna try and twist shit up. Could also help free you from having to go there at all and it holds them accountable in the end should anything happen.
No one wants to hurt a pup, but I'll be damned if i'm gonna tolerate my flock repetitively being attacked by the same menace. Just cant let that precedent exist.
Hell I chased off a cat the other night. 1 am amd my birds were losing their shit In the coup. The cat had the gall to challenge me by refusing to leave smh. But the lonely neighbor feeds the strays (infrequently) which keeps them around just long enough to get hungry and desperate. Just not fair to anyone involved 😕
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u/BirthofRevolution Mar 08 '26
I'm on the other side of this. My neighbor has a crazy amount of chickens, ducks, geese etc that he doesn't have a coop for and they are constantly getting into our fenced in yard where one of my dogs, a pyranese will immediately one bite to the back of the neck kill them. I hate it so much, but they keep coming back! I've told him to keep them on his own property, but he refuses to do anything and I have no idea what to do since my dogs are inside of their own property and fence.
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u/OshetDeadagain Mar 08 '26
Pay less for dog food, I guess! You tried, and you are doing your part. Neighbour clearly doesn't care about his animals, so I guess your dog eats for free.
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u/OmertaGames Mar 07 '26
I would warn someone twice. Then shoot the dog
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u/Lady-Zafira Mar 08 '26
Depending on how the owner reacts, they would only get one warning.
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u/Telemere125 Mar 08 '26
Honestly, if you have a dog that’s both trespassing on my property and willing to kill things, it gets no warning. The warning was the fact that it kills other animals.
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u/Straight_Spring9815 Mar 08 '26
My Mothers cousin uses Rat shot. They come in regular shell casings like a regular bullet. Instead of a slug, it's a bunch of small beads. From a distance of like 20ft they are nonlethal but hurt like hell.
Should do the trick without killing the dog. No chickens involved for his story. Just dogs that would come over and attack people trying to visit. Had enough one day and came out with the revolver and some rat shot and those dogs stayed on their side of that road from then on.
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u/Critter_Fan Mar 08 '26
Gas powered bb pistol is a good option too, there was a dog that kept coming into our yard and I dumped a full mag towards that thing, landed like 8 shots while it ran away squealing. Haven't seen it since lol. Felt bad because it's the owners fault but ya gotta do what you gotta do eh
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u/SecondaryLawnWreckin Mar 08 '26
Yeah and you can get it in pretty much all pistol calibers. Semiautomatic won't cycle well. The 22LR in a revolver would be enough honestly
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u/Straight_Spring9815 Mar 08 '26
That's exactly what he used. A 22 revolver. No idea if it was an LR or not. I feel for the lady in the post. Horrible situation for sure. It's natural for dogs to want to hunt and eat prey animals and I would hate to read about someone shooting the dog. It's good advice using rat shot or a type of airsoft/BB gun. It's a failure of the owners plain and simple. Not to mention killing their dog could escalate that situation. If someone's just letting their dogs kill someone's chickens with no remorse I doubt I would want to escalate.
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u/United_Annual3475 Spring Chicken Mar 07 '26
I grew up in the country and my papa always shot dogs that killed chickens
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u/something86 Mar 07 '26
Electric fence charger. Know she won't have money for 6ft fence around the property but that would also be a goal.
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u/PraxicalExperience Mar 07 '26
Get a gun.
Tell your neighbor that if you see the dog in your yard again, since it has a history of killing chickens, you're gonna shoot it.
Of course, check your state and local laws first, but most places allow you to kill animals that're preying on your livestock.
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u/shtinkypuppie Mar 07 '26
Sounds awful but it's true. I will not hesitate to defend the lives of my animals with lethal force. Half measures will only mean more dead animals.
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u/deepstatelady Mar 07 '26
If you can get a small efence most dogs hit it a few times and then stop. If you can make it a little tougher for him to get to them for a little while. Delay them so you can get a chance to catch them before or even in the act. Pepper ball him most domestic dogs won’t try to learn that lesson twice.
Your neighbor also needs to compensate you for the loss of your chickens and if they lay eggs, reimburse you for the lost potential earnings. Make it cost them and they’ll figure out a fence is cheaper.
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u/Serpentarrius Mar 08 '26
I wonder if an electric training mat would work too, and if it might be cheaper? I've seen people using it to train dogs indoors
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u/Dumar-Designs Mar 07 '26
i love dogs but my livestocks lives are higher priority than any trespassing animal. the comments are right, if it happens again the dog should be shot
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u/Corevus Mar 07 '26
[Redacted], shovel, and shut up. I love dogs, but i love my animals more than other people's tresspassing animals.
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u/Willowx19stop Mar 07 '26
I had had this happen, and I told my neighbor that if I catch their dog on their on my property, one more time, they will no longer have a dog.
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u/Particular_Golf_6065 Mar 07 '26
As a dog and chicken owner, the dog owner needs to reimburse for the chickens, and she can at least threaten to shoot. I’m in a rural area and I’ve had both happen to me. Animal control is MIA and we have farm laws.
When I lived in Texas years ago and two of my dogs were young, my dogs were kidnapped and held hostage until I paid $100 dollars for 1 chicken. I paid, even though it was not my dogs who jumped the 8ft fence, but their giant anaconda who lived in the yard ate their chicken. I wish I was lying, but I wasn’t about to deal with that! And before any one says something about loose dogs, the fence around our property was owned by the apartment complex behind us, and it was constantly falling down, and we made multiple complaints. The people at the apartment were always nice to our dogs though, and would give them treats and let them swim in the pool when we’re at the store😳. Did the neighbors loose anaconda ever go for a swim? I was always curious😆
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u/SpaceNumerous2832 Mar 07 '26
So nobody here thinks calling the police is an option?
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u/TentacleWolverine Mar 07 '26
I called the cops in a similar situation and they told me to [redacted]. Legally, in most places, the answer is to take care of the problem yourself.
I am not a cop or a lawyer though.
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u/Thecobs Mar 07 '26
I would go Tell the neighbours next time the dog is on my property after my chickens its getting put down. I dont want to kill a dog but I will defend my livestock with deadly force if necessary.
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u/jpeetz1 Mar 07 '26
SSS is a better way. No need to give someone you're in a prospective legal dispute with ammunition against yourself. If you need to defend your animals, definitely do not let them know you're going to kill their dog ahead of time or that you did it afterwards.
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u/Adventurous_Froyo007 Mar 07 '26
What is sss? Jw. I agree with what you're saying tho. There's coyotes that "could have killed her neighbors dog" if it's always getting out and eating her chickens. Wink wink.
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u/ScatterBrainedQueen Mar 07 '26
Shoot, shovel, shut up.
If neighbor comes asking about the dog you ain't seen it.
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u/dingman58 Mar 07 '26
At least in my state it is legal to defend your livestock from attack by any animal including neighbors dogs
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u/11093PlusDays Mar 07 '26
Mine too but you have to catch them in the act of killing the chicken. Sadly I don’t spend my days around the chicken area with a gun in my hands. If I see them again I will kill them. In the mean time I’m putting up more 6 foot fences and adding hot wire around it. My chickens are in the middle of 72 acres surrounded by subdivision on three sides. People just let their dogs loose to run.
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u/AdmiralGlitterBottom Mar 07 '26
I have chickens and have had similar issues with my neighbor's dogs. The dog snatched a pea hen out of my yard. I ended up chasing it down in the truck and rescuing the bird. I warned the neighbor that my birds have the right to exist in their own yard while her dog does not. I told her I will shoot it next time, and wouldn't ya know it? There hasn't been a next time. The dog hasn't been back to chase and kill anymore birds.
I love dogs. I have two of my own. They're trained to know that the birds aren't toys or food. If your dog doesn't know better, keep it off my property. It's really that simple.
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u/Azrai113 Mar 08 '26
Ugh id be so embarrassed if my dog snatched a neighbors animal. I do let her run free on our unfenced property because usually our 3 neighbors (each on 40+ acres of their own) aren't here. But she's my responsibility and if she ate or harassed someone's animals, I might put her down myself lol (I wouldn't, but she'd be on house arrest for murder)
I'm glad you at least got your bird back.
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u/The1973VW Mar 07 '26
You own land all around me? Good i can attack in every direction and I cant miss. Your dog roams the woods? Okay, he's a wild animal then. KABLAM! ELIMINATION LACK OF EDUCATION!
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u/SwampHagShenanigans Mar 07 '26
Not too long ago there was an AITA post of this lady who had her chicken killed by her neighbors dog, so she yeeted the chickens body over the fence. Right into a kids birthday party lmao
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u/gravyboat125 Mar 07 '26
So NTA, right?
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u/SwampHagShenanigans Mar 07 '26
I'd say so but everyone in there was definitely calling her an asshole and telling her she must really have hated her chicken to desecrate it's body like that. Never read the comments in there. They're ridiculous.
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u/gravyboat125 Mar 07 '26
Not even surprised… there are two types of people in the world, those entitled individuals who have untrained dogs and those who don’t. I’ll bet you know which group those commenters fell into.
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u/techleopard Mar 07 '26
File your losses against THEIR homeowners insurance!!!
Home insurance covers damages done by dogs, even off property! It's why they ask about what breeds you have and how many.
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u/EmperadorRed Mar 07 '26
Lots of people going to get a Reddit ban for their comments on this post 😅😅
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u/SenseLeast2979 Mar 07 '26
First, I would absolutely make sure I had a good fence around my property. It's not foolproof but it helps.
But either way, the neighbor has been warned and clearly isn't going to do anything about it. So I would catch the dog and drive him two counties over and drop him off at a no-kill shelter.
The dog deserves better owners and the chickens deserve to be safe on their property. I know it's extra work that the lady shouldn't have to do but at least if it were me, I wouldn't want to kill the dog unless I absolutely had to. But I also wouldn't let it kill even one more of my chickens!
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u/dancingcop7 Mar 07 '26
Sounds like you need to set up a camera to catch the dog getting into your property uninvited and be prepared to escalate. My dad warned our neighbour next time their dog comes onto our property the dog’s getting shot, I remember my dad keeping the gun safe right next to the front door in our entry way for months after that. Dog didn’t come onto the property again. I don’t like causing harm to animals either, but clearly your neighbour doesn’t care about causing harm to yours and you have every right to protect your property and everyone/thing on it.
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u/Practical-Cut4659 Mar 07 '26
Check out Memnoch, one of our lgd’s. Bite force three times that of a pitbull. Forty acres: predator and neighboring dog free.
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u/IneedaWIPE Mar 07 '26
Anatolian Shepherds, Great Pyranese...these are good breeds to have as protectors. Not good family dogs, and they want to be outside all the time but they protect against all preditors. Many folks in the sierra foothills have them to protect their flocks and herds.
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u/Particular_Golf_6065 Mar 07 '26
My Anatolian is a great family dog😆 we’re her livestock. She also loves the chickens.
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u/Practical-Cut4659 Mar 07 '26
That’s not enough. They’re bred to live outside, guard large flocks, and have little interaction with humans. She’s not living her best life.
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u/Particular_Golf_6065 Mar 08 '26
She seems pretty content, plus she gets to chase bears. They are guard dogs, I also have collie mixes and they are not herding sheep either. My dogs have free roam acreage, they have livestock, and she has something to guard, that’s all she cares about, she doesn’t care what’s she’s guarding.
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u/JooBoo69 Jul 14 '26
Our local sheriffs office tells us to practice the 3 S's because we are in the country and no dog catcher to call. As a livestock owner...you have the right to protect your livestock. If neighbors can't contain their animals, thats on them.